A white eagle over the decorated stage, musicians in tuxedos, the full audience, with people even sitting on the floor and standing against the walls. It is 3 February 1945, 3.30 p.m., the orchestra starts to play. After the gloomy years of World War II, Polish music can be heard again in the building at 1 Zwierzyniecka Street: Karłowicz's Eternal Songs and Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor... The same programme, augmented with Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique", will be presented during the anniversary concerts of the Kraków Philharmonic, which was the first in post-war Poland to initiate artistic activity on that February afternoon 80 years ago. We will celebrate twice: at the Kraków Philharmonic (31 January) and at ICE Krakow as part of the FeelharmonICE series (1 February). Kraków Philharmonic's Orchestra will be conducted by baton masters Antoni Wit and Jerzy Maksymiuk, who have made a special mark on the history of the institution, and its current artistic director Alexander Humala, while the Polish-Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki will be the soloist.

Mieczysław Karłowicz Eternal Songs, Op. 10 *
Fryderyk Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21 **
Piotr Czajkowski Symphony No. 6 "Pathétique", Op. 74 ***

Jan Lisiecki – piano
Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra
Jerzy Maksymiuk – conductor *
Alexander Humala – conductor **
Antoni Wit – conductor ***

Photo: Jerzy Maksymiuk, photo by Mirosław Pietruszyński